The senior crew briefing had gone about as well as they all expected, but given the logical nature of the arguments, they were able to convince them without Ali breaking out her authority in the chain of command. Though it was a close thing.

They arrived at Kentar a little after midday, and Ali had to admit that it felt weird to be back. The last time she had been on the surface was at her father's ankkae. The time before that to examine Bert's prison cell with Ben to see if they could work out his plan. It was much calmer than Antke, but much hotter and sandier. The deserts broken up by settlements and the flora that had adapted to survive such conditions.

"We can't stay out in this heat for long," Ben warned as Ali adjusted her head covering to stave off some of the worst of the sun glare.

"We won't have to," she replied as her eyes flitted about over the buildings they were observing, interspersed with brief glances at the scanner in her hand. "There," she said as she pointed, "that's our way in."

Ben squinted at where she was indicating, eyes darting back at her to ensure he was looking at the right place, before giving up. "It's a solid piece of wall."

Ali wiggled her eyebrows conspiratorially with a knowing smirk. Ben just knew he was going to regret doubting her.

She led the way down from their vantage point and down into the streets. Kentarian streets were not particularly busy at the best of times, but the side alley Ali cut down was beyond deserted. Ben was initially surprised to find that she sauntered right past the place she'd pointed at earlier, only to emerge on the far side of the back street into the trickle of pedestrians on the thoroughfare on the far side. She turned and continued walking as if nothing untoward had happened, and it wasn't until she'd turned a second time that she chanced a glance at her wrist to read the display on her uniform sleeve.

You do have a plan, right? You're not just seeing how long it takes me to question what you're up to?

He could feel her amusement and for a moment he was worried he'd just given her an idea. Just a little something I picked up in my freelance days. Not quite as illegal as what I'm about to do.

I know you're saying that to stop me asking questions you don't want to answer, but I think I'd be more worried if you could break into a government building legally, he deadpanned.

Oh, that sounds like a challenge to take up in retirement.

Insurance plan on the off-chance you don't take yourself out in a literal blaze of glory?

Even though she knew he was teasing her, she could still feel the small tinge of worry that she'd actually blow herself up somehow. She couldn't blame him for that, her actions did tend to lead in that general direction. By now they'd looped back in the least conspicuous way they could to that first alleyway, and Ali surreptitiously tapped away on her scanner to take out the concealed security camera now that her hacking program had granted her access.

Partway along Ali stopped and reached out to brush her hand along the wall, quickly locating the false cover to reveal a panel. Ben knew better than to ask what she flicked out of her pocket and was using to pick an electronic lock. He assumed it was some kind of security spike or program to bypass the system. Instead he kept lookout, though he had been able to pick up enough of the security patrol patterns to know they should have time yet, and that Ali had timed their journey to coincide with that window as much as they could.

It wasn't long before a seal popped and a seam appeared in the wall, allowing him to fully open the door that was supposed to be an emergency exit as Ali closed up the panel she'd been working at, then followed him in.

~-x-~

Then they just had to make their way to the main assembly hall. They had considered going to some of her father's friends, but because of Tihud Ali wasn't willing to risk anyone else not being who she thought.

No one had caught their unorthodox entrance so they were free to hurry down the corridors, timing their journey as best they could to avoid meeting anyone on their way. Sometimes that was as simple as slowing or speeding their pace, other times they had to duck into various empty rooms or side corridors to keep themselves concealed.

When they arrived at the main doors, they were both a little stunned that they'd gotten there without too much trouble. They didn't need to share the look they did to know the other was worried that meant Tuktutav were playing them. Ali turned back to the door, hesitating for a moment, before deciding that they didn't have a choice. A war was coming, and the only way to avert it was direct appeal to the kentarian assembly. They knew there was the possibility that Tuktutav or Pikaya would have influence here, that hadn't changed.

She shoved the door open and allowed herself to enjoy the stunned horror that dawned upon the representatives that someone had not only dared to disrupt their proceedings, but that security hadn't stopped them.

"What is going on?" The overseer demanded as Ali warned one of the security guards to back off.

"Information vital to the security of Kentar, Nra Vikad" Ali started as she turned to him.

"No explosives, just conventional weapons," the security officer who had approached Ali cut in, having finished her scans of the pair of them.

"Then so long as they don't make a move to their weapons, we might as well hear them out," Vikad agreed.

"They're nothing but -"

"Silence!" Vikad's voice boomed across the room yet was not particularly loud. It was the confidence born from his authority as overseer that was the effective part. "They went to a lot of trouble to get here, until they present a danger it is only courteous to hear them out. After all, I assume for something so serious you would bring evidence."

Ali reached to her old earpiece to activate the holo-display. Spud had managed to expand on the usual range and power to act as a projection for a larger audience. "These images were found in a database left on Antke," she explained as she tried not to get sucked into the horror of them. She waited for enough of the video to play for the assembly members to truly understand what they were seeing before adding, "the taurrans have recently gained access to this data."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"How?"

"She must have given them access!"

"Actually, I would never had set foot on Antke without coordinates from the taurrans," Ali corrected calmly. "This video was in a random databank with no security on it, my presence was irrelevant."

"But other videos?" Vikad prompted.

Ali briefly turned to him, before manipulating the display with the small GUI at her left hand, only to beckon towards it with her right. No more videos, but enough records and details to explain that there was no plan to abandon the practices with Antke. "The taurrans view this as a threat, and I agree with them, and unless something is done to avert their fears, there will be another war."

"Traitor!" Ali was hardly surprised to hear Tihud, though she did briefly muse it would be just her luck to gatecrash a session he was part of. "You have given away classified intelligence to our enemies and incited a war."

"No, if there is a war it will be because you and a number of other kentarians behave in barbaric ways," Ali corrected. "These actions should have gone on trial for war crimes or sentient rights abuses, instead they were covered up and allowed to continue. Why would the taurrans, or any forum species, trust us now? Why would they allow this to continue?"

"I am inclined to agree with Tihud," Vikad said. "These acts are despicable, but you are responsible for allowing vital intelligence into enemy hands."

"Again with the fact that they would've found enough to legitimise a war on their own," Ali repeated with an eye roll. "Look, you wanna lock me up, fine, you do that. But that doesn't change the facts, a war is coming. You have three days before the taurrans reach your borders, and before then The Forum will hear all the same information you are. The only way out of this is to full investigate the groups who are still carrying this out, disband them and preferably prosecute those responsible."

"You believe it that easy to stop a war?"

"I know no one wants this war," Ali said firmly. "But how can you feel secure when you know there's a whole nation capable of this," she paused to wave at the display, "possibly condoning it with covert military units, that has a history of mistreating your species?"

"Are you justifying taurran aggression?" One of the assembly women demanded.

"She is explaining that our actions have consequences, Nenanka," Vikad interrupted firmly. "You have evidence that this is still occurring?"

Ali turned to Ben, who nodded. "The files from Antke suggest that Tuktutav was to be set up as a military branch, and we're not sure but we think Pikaya is a cover to allow them freedom to operate. But we do know that groups using these names are helping each other run similar experiments. Tihud runs one, and we know they have a lot of very important connections throughout the sector."

"This is all hearsay -"

"I was one of the ones you took from Yerta. We were found on a ship with Pikaya guards in-between having our minds turned against us," Ben said. "So don't try and convince me this doesn't happen, I know firsthand that it does."

As Ben spoke Ali had pulled up everything that they'd uncovered on the display. "Research ships, a facility hidden on Tuthu with very heavy security. And let's not forget the conversation we shared after that and your assassination of one of my own crew."

"Tihud, is this true?" Vikad asked.

"Of course not," Tihud said, as if it were preposterous that he was even being asked. "I think recent events have taken their toll on young Captain Turner here," he continued as Ali folded her arms in affront. "The loss of a parent can be traumatic, and I can't imagine USEP's arrest warrant has helped -"

"You done?" Ali asked, deciding she was done listening to this. "I can offer ship logs, reports and if we really need to go down this road… Nra Vikad, I'll let you vet the information."

That shocked a number of people, not least Ben. "Ali, we have no guarantee we can trust him," he hissed in her ear.

"Are you suggesting that I would be complicit in these kind of activities, Commander?" Vikad asked.

"We know the kind of things these people are capable of, and we know they have ties to powerful individuals. It's only sensible to maintain a healthy skepticism about anyone. Especially when they have a perfect opportunity to rewrite someone's mind," Ben replied calmly.

"Yet you came here anyway."

"We couldn't just sit back and not do anything," Ali replied.

"You were happy enough to let the taurrans have this information," Nenanka said.

"Happy had nothing to do with it," Ali admitted, and the surprise registered on Nenanka's face.

There was a pause as Vikad continued to scrutinise the pair of interlopers. "Captain Turner, are you truly comfortable with me accessing your memories?"

Ali hesitated for a moment before nodding. "So long as you stick to the relevant ones, yes," she decided, causing a wry smile on a few faces. And Ben squeezed her hand, knowing just what she was agreeing to.

"Why are you humouring them?" Tihud demanded.

"These are serious charges, Tihud, they demand a serious response. Perhaps they are misguided, or worse nefarious and think they can fool us, or perhaps they are speaking the truth. It is our duty to be certain."

"Ali!" Ben suddenly shouted as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

Ali twisted instantly to see the security guard bringing up her weapon to aim at her, and slammed her own forearm down on the guard's to force the weapon to point down, before twisting to grab the offending wrist with her other hand and wrenching her elbow back into the guard's stomach.

"Well, it seems like someone is scared of what the knowledge in my head will reveal," Ali remarked as she yanked the gun out of the guard's hand as said guard gasped for breath.

That's probably fair, Ben suggested and Ali's smile almost broke through. You have a plan from here, right? He watched as Ali shoved the guard to the floor for good measure, whilst still glaring at Tihud.

Duck, she warned, raising her now stolen weapon at the guard on his side. Whose arm was trembling as he haltingly raised his weapon from pointing at floor.

"Don't shoot!" He cried as Ben cleared out of her line of fire, "I don't want to shoot you, but… something's urging me to."

Break his arm if it gets any higher, Ali ordered as she closed her eyes to reach out with her telepathic senses, seeking the mind trying to force it's will upon the guard. Knowing it might not be Tihud.

Narla often spoke about auras when trying to describe how she felt other people's minds, Ali had always thought of it more like a subconscious signature. Though after their recent experiments she was more inclined to defer to Narla's assessment, almost as if telepathic abilities manifested as controllable full-body halos. She allowed herself to follow the unique imprint back to it's source before using her own abilities to mimic a high pitched squeal in their mind.

The real shout of pain was enough to jolt Ali back into the present moment. She heard the gun fall to the ground where the security guard practically yanked his hand away from it in horror at the fact that it almost did something he hadn't told it to do, but she was focused on finding the source of the shout. Finally seeing Tihud helping a woman to her feet as she clutched her head with one hand. "What did you do?" Tihud demanded once she was stable.

"What was she doing?" Ali replied in kind. "I followed her pattern back from his mind."

"Of course you'd say that!"

"Someone was trying to force me to kill her!" The security guard interrupted.

"It's a good double bluff to get you on her side."

"And still be able to fight, walk and talk?" Nra Vikad asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Then pressed a control on his wrist. "Guards, I want the assembly chamber secured and our members under supervision till we can fully eliminate each from our enquiries."

For a moment, Ali thought it was a testament to just how cynical she was that she didn't feel relief but instead tensed as if an attack was imminent. Only to be vindicated as Nenanka shouted, "look out!" Before Ali could locate the source of the problem, someone collided with her in a tackle.